Rights after resignation. Please some advices :)

RoxanaM

Hi. I have been working for a big company in Ireland for the last 2 years. I got promoted to supervisor in the meantime. 5 weeks ago there was an issue and I got suspended in full pay, pending an investigation. I was waiting for an answer for 4 weeks and then I sent my resignation (signed in original, scanned and sent by email) because it was too much stress for me. After I sent my resignation the next day I've received by post the letter inviting me to a meeting in the same day when I received the letter. And then my area manager replied to my email asking me to think about because they are unable to move forward with the process or address the issues without my direct involvement and to call him. I did call him and he was asking me to think about and then answer again if I want to continue with my resignation. When i was suspended I was asked to keep everything confidential and that I am not allowed to go in any of the company sites, and I did this. But I got so many calls and I heard so many rummors from people working in the company that I really didnt want to come back again or to explain myself anymore.
My big concern is: I found a new job in a company that supplies goods to the other company I used to work for. My role as a merchandiser is to go in all the sites and talk with managers. Am I allowed? I mean I dont know the law...and I dont know what involves that I've resigned while I was in investigation. I dont know if I can take this job or not because managers from the other company wont look so nice at me even though everything was supposed to be confidential everyone knows.
Can you please give me some advices?

3DataModem

What have you told the new company about why you left the old one?

RoxanaM

They didnt ask me the reasons. I just said I resigned. They really want me to work for them because I know the goods so well.

seamus

If you accept this other job, are you permitted to enter the client sites? The answer is yes, unless you are specifically banned by the company from doing so.

You verbally agreed to keep out of the sites while you were suspended. However, once you cease your employment that agreement is implicitly void since you are no longer working for that company. So once you finish employment you may access those sites unless told otherwise.

My main concern in your case would be that your relationship with your existing company will be damaged, which in turn may lead to problems with your new employer when you attempt to interact with the old one. The company may actually ban you from their sites, your new employer loses the plot, and you get fired on the spot.

Internal investigations are not legal matters. The fact that you've resigned means that you have no obligation to co-operate or even discuss it with them. However the problem is that they could find you at fault in your absence, which will damage any future references or interactions you have with your current employers. You actually can't make it any worse by co-operating.

My advice would be to tell the "investigation" that you will co-operate on the understanding that it will be resolved before your finish date. That way, the uncertainties go away, whichever way the matter ends up, and there is no weirdness that may affect your future employment.

RoxanaM

Thank you very much for your answer.
I already sent them my resignation and my decision that I want to move forward with my resignation. I still have no answer... they have to pay also for my holiday (almost 8 weeks)...
I wanted to co-operate with them and I was waiting one month but i couldnt stay like this so I was applying for other jobs. I found this job and I didnt know exactly at the beggining that I have to work exactly with the other company. Now I got the job and I dont know what to do. How to explain to my new employer?

Mrs OBumble

You have to tell your new employer about this.

It's very likely that the old company will not want you on their sites, so if the new employer sends you there they will get a swift phone call to either get you off-site or to lose the contract.

Maybe it can be worked through, but maybe it can't. By not telling, you're opening a great big bucket of worms.

Stheno

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

You have to tell your new employer about this.

It's very likely that the old company will not want you on their sites, so if the new employer sends you there they will get a swift phone call to either get you off-site or to lose the contract.

Maybe it can be worked through, but maybe it can't. By not telling, you're opening a great big bucket of worms.

Agree with this, you may find yourself out of a job pretty quickly if you choose not to do this.